Extinguished
by DisneyDame88
Summary: A one-shot Jackunzel fanfic set in a Season AU. You can either read this as a continuation from my Final Four story where it is far in the future and Pitch has escaped again, or as a completely different universe. It's up to you! Pitch has taken Rapunzel and Jack rushes to save her... WARNING: Dark and angsty.


Extinguished

**Author Notes - A one-shot Jackunzel fanfic set in a Season AU. You can either read this as a continuation from my Final Four story where it is far in the future and Pitch has escaped again, or as a completely different universe. It's up to you!**

**WARNING: Dark and angsty.**

Jack was flying so fast he could feel the wind burning his face. No matter how much the wind tried to help him, the pure speed he was travelling at meant that there was always going to be wind friction, and it frustrated him – even if it only slowed him down for a second, it was a second too long. He might be a second too late.

He flexed his fingers, mentally pulling the wind around him, and using it to push himself to even greater speeds. He had to get there. He had to save her. Rapunzel – who had always been there for him.

But now she was gone.

Pitch had been quiet for a long time – so long in fact that he had let his guard down; all of them had. No one believed him to be a threat any more, and the Guardians and Seasons had continued with their existence for hundreds of peaceful years since they had last defeated him.

Guarding the children, and maintaining the balance of the world was a full time job for them all, but it was a part of them and gave them purpose. This didn't mean they didn't have times when they would take a rest and just simply enjoy one another's company though.

The Guardians would always be Jack's family. North, the father figure he had always longed for. Bunny, the annoying older brother; he would give him a hard time now and then but only for his own good. Sandy was like a wise yet humorous uncle, and Tooth the caring and concerned aunt.

And the Seasons – well, they were the closest friends he ever had. More than friends really – more than family. He couldn't explain it. Maybe it was because each of them was one side of a balance as old as the world itself – neither of them more or less important than the other, each needed to keep the seasons turning and bring about the cycle of life and death. It was like the earth's pulse, the earth's breath. He needed them more than breathing.

Hiccup. Well Hiccup and his dragon Toothless really; you couldn't have one without the other. He was the one Jack could always rely on. He would have Jack's back in every fight, in every prank. Sure, he might try to half-heartedly point out the potential disasters that could occur because of said prank, but Jack knew he would quickly cave in and join him. Because even though Hiccup was clever, resourceful and a skilled tactician, deep down Jack knew he could be as reckless as Jack was. He was the soul of a boy who had once run off to train a dragon despite everything he had ever known telling him that the dragon would kill him, after all.

Merida. The soul of a princess, but certainly not a damsel in distress. No that girl would most likely be the one causing the distress, and then yelling at you to ask why weren't you doing anything to help her sort it out. And then yell at you some more when you tried to help and got in her way. Fiercely loyal and protective, Merida would be the first to call you out if you were talking rubbish, but also the first to jump to your defence. Jack would love to tease her just to see her face turn as red as her hair, but she gave as good as she got; that's what made it so much fun!

And Rapunzel. Rapunzel was the soothing element to an otherwise raucous lot. She brought out the best in all of them, and her presence was a healing balm that soothed away any lingering bitterness or guilt as she accepted you just the way you were.

Hiccup and Toothless became more thoughtful and calm around her; she often helped them to see things they might otherwise have missed in their rush to get things done. Merida became more caring and motherly; her fiery temperament transformed into a protective warmth. And with him….well. Jack could admit that he could be a bit self-absorbed at times…and maybe a little reckless with no thought of the consequences. But when Rapunzel was around he became so much more aware of those around him, of how his idea of 'fun' could cause others problems despite never meaning to. It's not that he wasn't caring, not at all, but when she was around he became a lot more gentle, a lot more protective and aware of others.

She was like a light that shone right into their hearts and the brightest parts of their souls would resonate and light up too; just to try and match her brilliance. She saw the beauty and light in everything and the smile on her face when she saw that beauty….it made you want to keep that smile on her face forever.

But now she was gone.

They had all been so busy in their own Seasonal preparations that no one had noticed at first. But slowly they realised. The flowers were losing their colour. That was the first sign. Merida, who had arrived to bring the Summer warmth noticed that the flowers were muted, dull. Rapunzel usually painted them in such bright colours, it was so strange. She had gone searching for her friend. But she wasn't there.

And then the flowers started dying. Shortly after the trees began to follow. The Season's erupted into panic.

Jack had been the last to see her, when he had passed over Winter to Spring. She had been just like she always was – beautiful and glowing, the smile on her face warming the very depths of his heart. He had taken her flying, his cheeks aching from smiling as he listened to her laughter. He had created a tiara of crystal frost to place upon her head. It twinkled in the early Spring sunshine and he had closed his eyes to keep himself from being blinded as he leant down to kiss her. Seeing her at the passing of Seasons was one of his favourite times because it was private – it was just for the two of them.

But now she was gone.

The words continued to echo in his mind like a mantra, a horrible, corroding thought that he could not shake. She was like his own personal sunshine and now she was gone, he finally, truly felt the ice than ran within his veins. Before, it had never bothered him. Before he had met her, he hadn't even noticed it. But since he had found her, she had introduced him to something he never realised he had been missing and now it was taken from him – the ice burned.

He and the others had been looking for her, in every corner of the world. The Guardian's joined in, abandoning their own preparations in order to help. But it was only Jack who had received the message; only Jack who had heard the voice whispering out of the shadows when he had been searching an old abandoned castle in England.

"_Do you want her Jack? Your Springtime? I can tell you want her back so badly; you want to grab her and fly off with her. You're afraid you've let her down, you're afraid you've lost her. Well let me ease your mind about that. You can have her….but only if you tell no one else. You know where to find me."_

He knew that voice. That voice that he thought he had locked away with old nightmares hundreds of years ago. Pitch Black. And yes, he did know where to find him.

And so here he was; racing on the wind and praying he wasn't too late. He arrived at the hole which led to Pitch's lair. It had been overgrown, but he could see where plants he recently been ripped away to reveal the entrance; fresh earth upturned around the edges and torn roots lying asunder.

He looked up for a moment at the Moon that shone down upon him. "I could really use some help right now Manny…"

But the Moon was silent. Like it always was.

He dived into the darkness.

As he stepped into that cave memories hounded him from the last time he had been there. The fear, the pain…the shivered and shook his head.

"Focus…got to focus…" he whispered to himself. He raised his staff protectively and began venturing further in. He didn't have far to go before he came across someone very familiar.

"Miss me Jack?"

Pitch rose out of the floor, the shadows forming his robes like they always did, the same old smirk on his ash coloured face. The two of them stood in a little pool of light cast by a near by lantern, their eyes glaring with animosity.

"Where is she?!" Jack spat as he pointed his staff at him, the threat clear in his voice.

"What? No, hello? No 'it's been so long, how have you been?' Nothing? I'm hurt Jack."

"Where. Is. She.?" Jack repeated through gritted teeth. He refused to play Pitch's games. He had had his fill of that in the past.

Pitch sighed as if he had been deprived of something. "Oh you're no fun any more Jack. What happened to you? I wanted to wait a little bit longer before introducing you, but if you insist….Rapunzel!"

Pitch called out her name, and it echoed further into the cave. Jack strained his eyes, expecting to see her being brought by some of Pitch's Nightmares, maybe bound in shadowy rope. His brain had already begun to work out how he was going to free her, when he finally saw a movement in the darkness behind Pitch.

First, her foot emerged. It stepped into the pool of light, dainty and delicate like always. The rest of her body followed, but something was odd. Her dress. No longer the light purple she always favoured; it was dark, much too dark. Her dress was black.

Slowly she emerged before him and Jack's heart froze. His eyes widened in shock, and Pitch, who was watching him closely, could see the confusion, pain and horror flashing within them.

Because as the figure appeared, it became increasingly clear that she was no longer the Rapunzel he had known. Her dress was of the same design, but it was now the inky black of the night sky with only dark purple laces, the colour of a bruise, decorating her bodice.

Her skin was pale, the beautiful blush that usually graced her cheeks stolen away. But it was not the porcelain paleness of Jack's own skin, it was the ashy consistency of Pitch's – grey and dull and dead.

Her hair fell in waves of black silk upon the floor, still as long and luscious as it ever was but now, instead of emitting light, it seemed to absorb it. Even as the light from the lantern fell upon her locks, the black strands seemed to smother it – nothing could penetrate its blackness.

And her eyes…oh god, her eyes! Gone were the beautiful green orbs he would stare into at every chance. The green that reminded him of spring grass and emeralds. The eyes that danced and twinkled with tears of laughter when he would jump out and tickle her. Instead they were yellow – sickly yellow. The colour of illness and glittering in malice and suspicion, two emotions he had never seen in her eyes before.

But worse, worse than all of this was the expression on her face. He would rather tear his own eyes out than see her looking at him that way every again. Because the smile that graced her lips was not her smile. Not the smile that was meant for him. This smile was twisted and cruel. It spoke of violence and hatred, spite and maliciousness. It was a smile that craved to taste others pain, and would do so whilst convincing you that you were enjoying it.

Because despite all the changes, everything that screamed how different she was, he could see it was her. It was still his Rapunzel. This was no copy, or clone, no fake or trick. It was her. And Pitch had corrupted her.

He felt his heart break and the shards of ice cut through him, causing him to gasp in pain. He fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. He was too late….too late.

Pitch watched him with amusement, before casually strolling over to Rapunzel and lifting a lock of her hair in his hands. He caressed it against his cheek, enjoying the sickened look that flashed across Jack's face.

"She is quite something isn't she Jack? You should have heard her…she held out against me for so long. She was so _sure _you would be coming for her. In between her screams of fear and sobbing gasps, no matter the nightmares and visions I pushed into her mind, still your name would fall from her lips. _'Jack. Jack will come for me.'_"

Pitch paused to roll his eyes. "It was quite sickening really. But no matter. Even the greatest light can be snuffed out. Even the sun can be eclipsed by darkness. And when it is – anyone will tell you it is a _wondrous _event. Something not to be missed."

As he said this Pitch turned Rapunzel's face towards him, and gazed at her hungrily, his eyes studying her face as he caressed her cheek. Rapunzel's expression held a satisfied smirk, as a pupil might when being praised by a teacher they had worked hard to impress.

Leaning down Pitch brought his lips close to her ear before whispering to her – yet still loud enough so Jack could hear: "Why don't you go say hello to our new friend dear one?"

Rapunzel giggled and nodded and it caused Jack's heart to twist because it was so like the giggle he had always known and loved, yet there was something dark hidden behind it that corrupted it.

Rapunzel was gazing at him curiously now, before skipping over; her black hair trailing across the floor. She skidded to a stop in front of him and bent down, until her large yellow eyes stared into his.

"Why are you on the floor?" her voice chirped.

Jack blinked. The hard sneer from when she had first appeared was now replaced with an innocent and open smile – so like the way she used to be that he was completely thrown off balance.

He opened his mouth but could find no words to reply.

She tilted her head to look at him until she was almost turned upside down; it would have been quite adorable if it wasn't for those horrible yellow eyes. "Isn't it cold on the floor? Oh but wait, I forgot – you don't feel cold do you?" she giggled again, the laughter falling to Jack's ears like shards of glass, each one cutting him deeper. Straightening up, she peered at him again and then pouted.

"Why won't you speak to me? Don't you like me any more Jack? I thought we were friends…" her voice quivered.

He looked up at her. Perhaps…was there still a part of her that was there? Some of the real Rapunzel?

She knelt before him and took his hands in hers, looking into his eyes earnestly.

"Don't you remember what fun we've had together Jack? Don't you remember? We would go flying, racing on the wind and through the fields, hearts pounding in our chests…." As she spoke her voice became more breathy, more seductive and she leaned closer so he could hear her.

"Don't you want it to stay like that – forever? It could you know. You could stay here – with me. All you have to do is give in to the darkness….."

Her whispers sent a shiver up his spine and he shoved her away from him with a cry. He scrambled to try and stand up, bringing his staff in front of him and blinking away the tears in his eyes. She was gone. She was really gone…

"That wasn't very nice Jack." Her voice had turned hard and her yellow eyes were gleaming at him in anger. "I've told you before about thinking about other people's feelings…"

"STOP IT!" he yelled, his voice laced with despair. He couldn't stand to hear her voice, echoing words that she had once shared with kindness, now tainted with evil intent.

"I waited for you Jack" she continued talking, walking slowly towards him.

"I waited for you for so long. Why didn't you come for me?"

"I- I didn't know! I didn't know you had gone!"

"Why? I thought I was your reason for living. You told me that once, do you remember? If you meant that, surely you should have felt something when he took me. When he hurt me. When he _broke _me."

"I…." Jack backed up, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly as all thoughts abandoned him. His back hit the wall.

"It's true Jack." Pitch re-joined the conversation. "She did wait for you an awfully long time down here. Nearly all Spring in fact. Still, it gave me a lovely long time to work on her. I think she is my greatest creation yet." He announced proudly, coming to stand behind her and placing his hands on her waist whilst resting his chin on her head.

"Get AWAY from her!"

"But why?" Pitch asked in a tone of surprise. "Obviously you don't want her…though why I simply can't fathom. Is she not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?"

Pitch took one of Rapunzel's hands, and slowly twirled her around in front of Jack as if they were dancing. Rapunzel continued to smile at Jack, her eyes hungry and her smile inviting as she paraded herself in front of him. As Pitch released her hand, she resumed her soft sway towards the Winter spirit, maintaining eye contact.

"Her skin – so soft and inviting, her eyes so big and full of expression. Oh I think I enjoyed watching her eyes the most. The pain, the _fear _in them."

"Stop it…please…" Jack's voice broke. He could not tear his eyes away from Rapunzel's, and as she drew closer her face filled up his entire vision, whilst Pitch's voice invaded his ears.

"Oh I know, you would probably say that she has always been beautiful. And yes, there was always a certain beauty and light about her, I'll give you that." Pitch conceded. "But _light _is such an obvious beauty. Rather boring don't you think? Darkness hold so much more mystery, so much more _depth_ – in darkness you can find _true _beauty."

Rapunzel reached out and gently caressed Jack's cheek. His felt his grip loosen and his staff clatter to the floor as the strength drained out of him. All he could see were her eyes. She slowly draped a length of hair around his neck like a scarf, and used it to pull his face closer to hers. He could feel her breath on his face.

"It's so easy to see the beauty of something when it is illuminated in light Jack. But you can only _truly _know beauty when that light is _extinguished_. Then, you must search for the real beauty, the real truth of a thing. And when you find it; oh it is something wondrous to behold."

Jack was in a trance; he could do nothing as Rapunzel brought his lips to hers and he began to feel the darkness invade his skin from them. Twisting swirls of black began to work their way under his skin, and he could feel the corruption at work. At the same time he felt her twist her hair in front of their two bodies, and her locks became a noose, tightening around his neck.

She would take him one way or the other; either to darkness or death. And all the time her yellow eyes gazed into his.

He gave up. She could have him. He could not live with himself having failed her anyway. If these were his last moments, at least they were with her. His Rapunzel.

These were still her lips, her body pressed against his. He could imagine they were out in a field. It is early Spring, a light frost still glitters on the ground. Their arms are wrapped around each other as snowdrops begin to peek from the earth.

But her eyes are yellow, and they should be green. He closed his eyes. And gave in to the dream.


End file.
